Portland Timbers Jim Rilatt, coach of the Portland Timbers U-23 squad, hopes to lead the team into the playoffs for the second time in three seasons.

The Portland Timbers U-23 team are in the enviable position of controlling their post-season fate. They're in a position of not needing help from other teams to earn a playoff berth.

The Timbers will begin their biggest weekend of the season at 7 p.m. tonight when they face the Washington Crossfire at Doc Harris Stadium in Camas, Washington. They will then face division-leading Kitsap Sunday at at 6 p.m. Hare Field in Hillsboro.

Winning both games will propel the Timbers into the post-season and they could potentially host a play-in game.

"We'll find out about our team and their ability as individuals and a group to win," Portland coach Jim Rilatt said.

The Timbers (8-3-2, 26 points) currently sit in third place in the Northwest Division of the Premier Development League. They trail the Sounders FC by one point and first-place Kitsap by three points. They are one point ahead of the fourth-place Crossfire.

The Timbers have three games remaining, with a game at Crossfire July 11 to close out the regular season. The top-four teams in the division will qualify for the play-in round, and the Timbers need one point in the final three games to clinch a berth.

But Rilatt and the Timbers won't be satisfied with just a spot in the play-in round. They want to host a play-in game and the top-two teams in the division will earn the right to host a game.